The Dayton Agreement

The Bosnian War, which resulted in more than 100,000 deaths of soldiers and civilians in the Balkan Region, ceased at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. The Bosnian War was one of the most destructive conflicts of the late 20th century and involved parties such as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. The initial peace conference began on November 1, 1995 and included Bosnian President Alija Izetbegović, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the European Union. Dayton was chosen as the site of the peace conference in hopes that it would take delegates out of their comfort zone and allow them to negotiate in a neutral location. On November 21, 1995, a peace treaty was initialed and “the Dayton Agreement” was established. The War formally came to a close on December 14, 1995 when the agreement was signed in Paris. The Dayton Agreement was an integral part in restoring peace within Bosnia and is regarded as a poster child of international reconstruction efforts.